Thursday, May 22, 2014

Is anyone surprised Alcor's News Blog has yet to mention that the Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled against them, three weeks ago? I'm not. The judge threw out Alcor's case, when he ruled on a summary judgment in favor of Vanguard Publishing and Scott Baldyga. http://www.law360.com/articles/534039/cryolab-hosting-ted-williams-remains-loses-defamation-suitDo you know what a "summary judgment" indicates? I think it means the judge determined Alcor didn't have a case worth trying. Personally, I think anyone of reasonable intelligence, who had read the court documents, would understand the decision and agree; it was ridiculous.Alcor spent five years, (and a tremendous amount of money, I'm sure), fighting a battle they did not deserve to win. Personally, I had hoped this case would actually make it to trial, for all the world to get a close look at some of Alcor's activities and personnel, but at least the door has been left open for future whistle-blowers and their publishers, (in regard to all matters of public interest, not just cryonics).Congrats Vanguard and Baldyga!!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

I haven't read the Alcor vs. Johnson court documents for quite some time, until recently. Judging by the transcript of the last conference, (NYSCEF DOC. NO. 413), I'll be surprised if the judge does not rule in favor of Vanguard (the publisher...Johnson extracted himself from the case, with a bankruptcy, quite some time ago...and contrary to what Alcor claims, Johnson DID NOT admit to lying).Alcor wants to maintain that they are either a private figure, or a limited public figure, at most. Let me get this straight...In 2006, Barbara Walters visited their facility to interview their CEO, (ironically televised on April Fool's Day of 2008), and they're not a public figure? You can read all about it in several of Alcor's news letters, which I'm pretty sure are not published with the intention of maintaining their privacy. And, let's not forget the brouhaha over the Dora Kent case, which occurred in 1987-88, long before Larry Johnson stumbled upon Alcor. Former Riverside County Coroner Investigator Alan Kunzman wrote a book, ("Mother Melters") about that fiasco. Then, there was the publicity surrounding the Ted Williams case, seven years prior to the Johnson book. I'm finding it ridiculous for Alcor to claim they are not a public figure, and it's looking like the judge thinks so, too.Alcor's attorneys keep relying on the affidavit of Dr. "Wolk," as the court transcriptionist misspells his name, to discredit Johnson/Baldyga/Vanguard. Wowk should be happy they misspell his name, and even happier if the case gets dismissed, since I think there are EASILY more distortions, and misrepresentations, of the truth in his affadavit, than in the entire Johnson book. Even the judge seems to doubt the veracity of that affidavit. In referencing Wowk's affidavit, the judge says he thinks "it came up a little short." ( NYSCEF DOC. NO. 413) When attorney Clifford Wolff disagrees and says he read Wowk's affidavit several times, the judge responds, "I know you read it. You probably wrote it, I get that."Smart judge to recognize that Wowk's affidavit was a "collaboration," as he called it, but I doubt Wolff wrote it, (though he probably did edit it). I'm sure there are multiple authors, probably people who have been long-associated with Alcor and who are not opposed to distorting the truth in trying to defend that organization. As I recall, Wowk even referenced the word of Harris and Platt, in trying to discredit Johnson, something that is absurd. As Wowk well knows, those two have been caught, quite a few times, publishing false information. Giving someone with a PhD a salary and benefits package worth six figures a years and asking him to sign his credentials to documents submitted to a court has its benefits...or does it? (It's correct that Alcor does not pay Dr. Wowk's salary, but Kent and Faloon do, via Life Extension Foundation. They (their money) are a common thread running through many activities related to cryonics, and Clifford Wolff is their attorney.)Five years and the only people who have benefitted from this ridiculousness are the attorneys! Everyone would have forgotten about the Johnson book months after it was published, (five years ago), if it were not for Alcor keeping it in the public eye.

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